A.J. Brown’s flat Foxborough debut is no deterrent to his quarterback as a Thursday Night Football showdown with a hot Chicago Bears team looms.
“It was great to see A.J. back,” Patriots quarterback Drake Maye told WEEI’s ‘Rich, Ken, and Ted’ during his weekly appearance Monday. “Having a guy back like that on the field, it’s fun to have [him] in the huddle, seeing him back going in practice, looking forward to seeing him again this week.”
Maye targeted Brown 10 times, more than any other pass catcher on the field against the New York Jets. They only connected on 3 catches for 27 yards, and the All-Pro receiver acquired via trade by the Patriots in the spring had 3 uncharacteristic drops. Sunday was his first game back from injured reserve. He suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 1 against the Seattle Seahawks.
When asked whether he kept going back to Brown to express his confidence in the receiver, Maye replied, “Always, you have to.”
“I definitely could make some better throws his way, that’s how I look at it,” he continued. “I think he’s got great hands. Since he’s been here as a Patriot, he’s been catching unbelievable. I just want to tell him I’m coming his way, and I meant that, and he knows that.”
Brown is likely to be a critical part of New England’s game plan against the Bears, as they placed receiver Romeo Doubs on injured reserve Monday. Doubs joins receiver Mack Hollins, who went on injured reserve with a calf injury following Week 4’s victory over the Buffalo Bills.
The Patriots currently have 14 players on injured reserve. They have the third-longest reserve of players, behind the San Francisco 49ers (18), and the Houston Texans (16).
As for Brown, outside of last year’s playoffs, his resume is clear of most drops. He recorded just one dropped pass during the regular season in 2024 and 2025.
